Laura Medeghini

The key role of micro-Raman spectroscopy in the study of ancient pottery: the case of pre-classical Jordanian ceramics from the archaeological site of Khirbet al-Batrawy

Micro-Raman (μ-Raman) spectroscopy has been used, as a preliminary and non-destructive technique, in order to investigate the mineralogical composition and to define the maximum firing temperature and redox state of the firing atmosphere of ancient ceramic materials. The studied ceramics come from the archaeological site of Khirbet al-Batrawy (north-central Jordan), dating back to the Early Bronze Age (3000–2000 B.C.). The results show that the ceramic body is composed mainly by quartz and calcite, and minor amount of feldspars and hematite. In addition, apatite and zircon, important markers to identify the provenance of raw materials, have been detected. Furthermore, the occurrence of gypsum has been related to both rehydration of anhydrite and burial alteration processes. Micro-Raman spectroscopy was helpful to investigate the nature of the pigments of these ceramics: the red colour was obtained by hematite, the dark pigment by amorphous carbon. Mineral assemblage allowed estimating the maximum firing temperature of these pottery vessels between 850 and 950 °C. The comparison of the results of μ-Raman spectroscopy and of X-ray diffraction analysis suggests that μ-Raman spectroscopy could have a key role in the study of ceramic materials, especially the characterization of archaeological ceramic samples for which manipulation and/or consumption are not allowed.

Is Khirbet Kerak Ware from Khirbet al-Batrawy (Jordan) local or imported pottery?

A multi-analytical approach has been applied to characterize Khirbet Kerak Ware from the archaeological site of Khirbet al-Batrawy (Jordan), a highly distinctive pottery production of Early Bronze III Levant. Sherds of Khirbet Kerak Ware vessels, dating back to 2750–2500 B.C., show peculiar shapes and a highly polished red/black coating, alien to other Levantine ceramic traditions. Micro-Raman, infrared spectroscopic and petrographic data have been obtained with the aim of defining the fabric, tracing the origin of the raw material used in the manufacturing process and exploring the technological aspects. The results on Khirbet Kerak Ware are then compared with those of ceramics of the same period found at that site in order to highlight possible differences or similarities in the manufacturing process. All these pottery productions reveal similar mineralogical composition, compatible with a local sourcing of the raw materials; moreover, the identification of a specific mineral assemblage allows to estimate a firing temperature ranging from 850 °C to 900 °C. In spite of the marked differences observed between macroscopic appearances of Khirbet Kerak Ware and those of other coeval and local pottery productions, the results are indicative of overall local manufacturing.

A preliminary study of ceramic pastes in the copper age pottery production of the Rome area

This paper presents the preliminary results of an analytical study on domestic pottery samples originating from the Copper Age sites of Casetta Mistici, Tor Pagnotta, Osteria del Curato-Via Cinquefrondi, Torre della Chiesaccia and Valle dei Morti, all of which are located in the Rome area (Latium, Italy). The aim of this research is to define the compositional features of the ceramic pastes and to reconstruct the main technological choices characterising pottery production in these contexts. The importance of these archaeological sites lies in their geographic position, being located in an area bounded by the Tiber and Aniene rivers and the Colli Albani volcano, and in their stratigraphic sequence, spanning from the mid-fourth to the end of the third millennium bc. This research, based on a petrographic and chemical investigation of pottery samples, led to the distinction of eight petrographic groups that reflect specific choices in pottery production. Moreover, the analytical results provide indications about the prehistoric pottery production of the Rome area in relation to the ceramic recipes used, the pastes that were obtained and their sourcing areas.